The Ultimate Trial
by Amellys
Summary: In an AU universe, Anakin Skywalker defeats Count Dooku and with the help of Palpatine is promoted to the High Council. But the Council decides to test Anakin and assign him a Padawan. With Padme on his side, will he be able to deal with a mischievous gir


**The Ultimate Trial**

By Amellys and Haezel

Disclaimer- characters belong to George Lucas

* * *

The air in the Jedi duel arena was humid with the expectations of its on-watching audience consisting of Younglings, Padawans, Jedi Knights, and Masters. The two young Padawans in the arena, a girl of about fifteen and a boy that looked to be sixteen, were circling each other carefully, watching for their opponent's next move, yet their lightsabers were not ignited. They were waiting for Master Windu to officially open the last round of the tournament by sounding the gong. No one could deny that this was going to be an important match, politically as well as socially. The two Padawans had been trained by two very powerful knights, and it was not only the urge the win that compelled the Padawans to compete, but also the need and desire to defend their Masters' honor. Yes, this was a very important battle indeed. Even those who did not know what it was about it were sensitive enough to feel a sense of excitement in the atmosphere of the arena. 

"You may begin," Master Windu stated, sounding the small gong.

At the sound of the gong, the two duelers ignited their weapons. The boy leaped up and launched himself at the girl, intending to meet her saber with his and use surprise to his advantage. It was a good plan, his Master would be proud.

Except that it did not work. The boy did not meet the girl's saber, because there was no saber to meet, and simply fell with a dull thud to the sandy floor of the arena. Their audience, dazzled by this event just as much as the two duelists, watched on as the girl attempted to re-light her saber to use the boy's mistake.

She flipped the switch.

Nothing happened.

She pressed the button again, her full attention focused on the blade, and made the fatal mistake of not paying attention to her enemy. Regardless, there was no need. The boy, and the girl, were both dumbly pressing down on an ignition switch that did not work.

Or wait, maybe something _was_ happening. One of the Younglings pointed to a circle that the 'saber' cast onto the floor. From the end of the 'saber' in the girl's hand a ray of yellow light illuminated the sand of the arena. And then the Youngling giggled. Soon, all the other Younglings in the first row followed suit, and then the Padawans and some of the Knights. Instead of the serious, finishing battle that everyone had expected, the duel had turned out to be a match between two teens holding flashlights, pointing them at each and trying to get them to 'ignite'.

Master Windu, not at all bemused by such insolence and indiscipline, found the eyes of Saesee Tiin, a horned, peach-skinned Ikotchi in long robes that happened to be a fellow Council member. There was no question who had done this. It was the last drop in Jocalta Ny'eed's already over-flowing cup.

* * *

Jedi Master Ckalt Rosen entered the Jedi Archives quickly, heading for a small, lighted desk to the side at which a young boy with stark white hair sat poring over documents. Rosen's own light hair stood out in the half-light of the room, and he paced forwards silently, moving fluidly over the dark stone tiling of the floor. Upon getting closer, he smiled quickly, and then deliberately began to walk with louder steps as he approached his Padawan. Without turning around, the boy smoothly covered up whatever he had been looking at with a textbook on the Temple's history. The Jedi Master stopped a few feet away, still close enough behind the chair that he knew his presence would feel uncomfortable. 

"Izomi?" he called softly.

The Padawan relaxed and turned around, letting out the breath he had been holding.

"Oh, it's just you, Master Rosen. I was worried for a moment; I thought you were one of the Youngling teachers coming to put me back in class."

"Which you aren't required to attend. You are under my instruction now, Izomi Baor. That's my job."

"Yes, but Master, they think I should be performing more…" he paused, trying to remember the phrase again, "…constructive activities. I don't think they're buying the story that we are studying the Ancient Order anymore." Rosen shrugged.

"Well, maybe we'll have to take a vacation under the pretense of searching for more information." He grinned. "And they're right; you do need to have a more practical application of those techniques we have been looking at." Izomi's face fell.

"You're not going to send me back, are you?"

"No, Izomi. You continue to be proficient. But there is a problem… Master Yoda has called a meeting of the High Council."

Izomi looked surprised:

"You're still on that?"

"Yes, unfortunately," he said slowly. "It's about the duel earlier today, the one you doubtless failed to appear at because of the intensity of your studies." Izomi reddened and looked down. "As a lesson, I think I am going to send you to the archives, so you can see what happened for yourself. I wouldn't want you to be the only person in the Temple who hasn't heard about it yet, now would I?" Rosen raised an eyebrow, appreciating the look of relief spreading over his Padawan's face.

Together, they walked to the entrance of the library. Rosen turned right, towards the Council Chamber, and his Padawan continued on in the opposite direction.

* * *

The Mastermind behind the prank that had frustrated the Jedi Masters' minds, Jocalta, was currently sneaking out of her chambers to collect the 'lightsabers' that had been used in the arena that day. She was an average sized girl about 5'5 with light lustrous chocolate-colored hair and dreamy light-grey eyes. The average observer would never have been able to predict that she was capable of pulling a prank like that; her exterior appeared completely innocent. Dressed in a dark brown robe typical of the Jedi order, she made her way to the arena. 

Just as she had expected, the place was empty- well, apart from the cameras that were guarding it. Jocalta, using the Force, quickly created an illusion around herself and moved forward to retrieve the 'weapons'. She opened the box that usually held them, and much to her disappointment, if not to her surprise, discovered that it was empty - obviously the Jedi had learned that leaving unguarded weapons around was not a good idea.

* * *

"Discipline her, we must," intoned Yoda, a small green creature and head of the High Council. "The coming of a disaster, I sense if stop this we do not."

Somewhere to Yoda's right, there was a half-concealed snigger. As the entire Council turned to face him, Master Rosen clumsily attempted to turn it into a cough. He honestly couldn't imagine how any of the others were able to spend hours listening to Master Yoda without expressing any emotion at all, let alone keep a straight face. Opposite him in the circle of Jedi, Windu patiently looked across the center of the room and wrinkled his brow.

"Were you volunteering to take her on, Rosen?" he ground out slowly.

Rosen's complexion paled slightly, immediately picking up on the absence of a title.

He was particularly afraid of Mace Windu, the only Jedi he knew of that carried a purple lightsaber. Combining the fighting color blue with Sith red, Windu had Mastered an attack technique, Vaapad, that relied on intense concentration and the incorporation, occasionally, of darker emotions into his fighting. The only other two Jedi known to have used that style, including Depa Billaba, who had replaced Strass Allie as a member of the current council, had both fallen to the dark side. It was just a matter of time before they discovered that this seemingly loyal Jedi was in reality the Sith Lord. Thank fate Windu was only human.

Oh, and as for Billaba? She was Windu's former Padawan and Rosen's Sith-in-Disguise Candidate Number Two. The pair would be taking over the Temple any week now, he was sure of it. Behind that mask of tough concern lurked a dark personality that had nearly pushed her to suicide, and when that failed, instead had resulted in a coma that lasted a good four months. Personally, he had harbored hopes that she would never recover from it.

It was obvious to Rosen: Master and Apprentice. Did that not look suspicious? Honestly, the reason no one could _find _the Sith Lords was because they were already comfortably situated in the Temple, making almost no attempt to conceal their dark tendencies. It was a shame no one else appeared to think the same way, or this war might have been ended long ago. In the meantime, he, Ckalt Rosen, Jedi Master and probably the most intelligent life form on Coruscant, would watch and wait.

"Certainly not, Master Windu," he replied. Rosen hazarded a smirk. "I've already got a Padawan to deal with. No offense to Qui Gon, but we can't all handle two brats at once." He didn't add that Qui Gon had actually_ died_ under the pressure. Luckily, everyone there was already so preoccupied with the day's earlier events that no one bothered to sense out what he was thinking. Not that it mattered much. Two weeks at the top of the Jedi hierarchy and already they were waiting for his term to be over.

After what would be later documented in Youngling History as the "Day Master Yoda Shouted at a Flashlight", an emergency meeting had been called in the High Council Chamber. Most of its members had already been in the city to watch the two potential knights battle out their rite of passage, so it hadn't taken very long. In fact, besides Anakin Skywalker, who would doubtless stroll in late as per usual, everyone but Shaak Ti was present, and only because she was busy clearing up a dispute the next planet over. Every few seconds she would jump back into the line of sight of her hologram projector, dodging and slashing, while occasional laser blasts ratcheted off of unseen buildings.

"I think we should begin with the record of her past misdeeds, Master Yoda," whispered Plo Koon. "She has an interesting collection of little crimes, doesn't she? Insubordination, pranks outside of her rank that should not have been tolerated…"

_Like sending you bug spray as a going away present when you left for your last mission, just in case the tide of battle turned unpleasantly and it all became too much_, thought Rosen. _I actually appreciated that one. It was one of the braver things I've ever seen a human do._

"This type of behavior would be unacceptable of any other Youngling, and yet she has gotten off with soft punishment almost every single time, these past thirteen years she has been with us." Plo Koon finished.

"Sixteen years," corrected Saesee Tiin. Master Yoda looked up in surprise.

"Unheard of, that is!" Yoda exclaimed.

"Yes," Tiin continued. "The record shows that she has been thirteen for the past three years, there are Youngling teachers who will vouch for it."

_Master Tiin, has the little human been a baa-d example?_ Rosen chuckled inwardly, careful not to express his emotions out loud this time. There were truly no normal people in the room, were there? Besides sheep-man and the bug, there was also Coleman Jackie with the triangle head and Kit Fisto, the fish-like man, who…

Who insulted every aesthetic thing in the galaxy by just _being_.

Windu stood up suddenly and walked over to one of the panels of glass surrounding the chamber and looked down on Coruscant. Still facing the scene, he began to speak.

"It shows her reluctance to be moved to a position in the Jedi Corps, above all things. I can almost appreciate that. Had I not been chosen myself…"

"There was never a chance you would not have been chosen, Master Windu," supplied Billaba. The corner of Windu's mouth twitched up for a moment.

"Thank you. Master Koon is correct, however. These feelings should not interfere with her actions; it is against the Jedi Code. 'There is no passion, only peace.'"

"And yet," said Rosen, unable to stop himself, "the Galactic Jedi's heart should be like crystal." Cold, unfeeling, incapable of mercy, and still easily shattered by the right amount of Force. This was another reason why the Jhuala, his people, had at first refused to enter the Republic. The Jedi here were all living lies. None of them were really devoid of emotion, as it was an essential part of being a Force user.

"Yes… peaceful. Anakin Skywalker has just parked his speeder and is entering the building." Windu turned away from the window and went back to his place, looking grim- this generation of Jedi was so different from when he was growing up. "That is the most tardy he has ever been for a meeting, I think."

"I believe so," Obi-Wan chuckled. "Do you remember back when he was first nominated, how he would always make an effort to be at the entrance before anyone else?"

There were several smiles around the circle of Masters. Rosen did not join in. It was just another form of hypocrisy on their part. Yes, he put no allegiance by the Code, but it didn't seem right in a room of individuals who swore by it every day.

He was lucky no one had the urge to read his mind today. This was really a lot worse than usual.

"The reason she is kept," sighed Master Kenobi explaining what most of them knew already, "is because of the unusual traits we saw developing in her as a child. Illusion and other mind powers, for example. These have not grown much more powerful with age, to our knowledge, and personally I feel that the Youngling's lesser attributes—"

"Just a moment, Kenobi. Master Billaba, I um, think there's something on your nose," interrupted Rosen. The Council was silent for a moment as Depa's anger peaked and subsided. She took a calming breath, and then answered him through clenched teeth.

"Thank you for noticing, Master Rosen. That happens to be a symbol of pride for my home planet, Chalacta. I got it done again yesterday, since it appeared to have worn off while I was temporarily incapacitated. Now, if you please, the aura around yourself has been unusually agitated today. Kindly keep any further Jhoalan thoughts to yourself, would you? Otherwise I may begin to cite some of the failing of your own planet. And, to be honest, I don't think you want them etched forever into the official record."

Rosen bit his lip to keep himself from replying, Depa Billaba, not taking to consideration Rosen nominating her for the Sith-in-Disguise Candidate Number Two, was not someone to cross. She was in charge of the Youngling development, the 'headmistress' of the Jedi school and her mere presence usually brought even the most delinquent Padawans to order.

* * *

Jocalta was about to return to the sleeping quarters before anyone had a chance to scold her further when she saw someone moving in the shadows. Quickly, her eyes looked back and forth for a hiding place, but the plain, white walls offered no refuge. She considered lying down on the floor and playing dead, but if it was a Jedi Knight approaching, that would most likely not work. However, before she was forced to make an executive decision between playing dead, jumping to the ceiling or just running away, the person came from around the curve (1). 

To Jocalta's relief, it was only a Padawan, a young boy of about fourteen with lots of white hair. She recognized him immediately as Izomi Baor, the Padawan of Ckalt Rosen.

"Good afternoon, Youngling," he greeted her. She looked at him with resentment, especially because of the demeaning title. And because she was older than him by at least two years.

"Good afternoon, Rosen the 2nd," Jocalta mimicked. Izomi matched her dark expression. "Where are _you _going?"

"I'm visiting the archives, actually, because I missed the duel today," he replied calmly, practicing Jediism. Jocalta chuckled in acknowledgment.

"How come?" she asked, now interested to find out what Rosen had thought.

"I was working on a paper." Izomi said. Not what she had been going for, but whatever.

"What paper?"

"It was white." Jocalta was not surprised by this reply. Jhuala were known for their supremacist and racist thinking.

"You mean, it was about Obi-Wan?"

"No, Windu, of course," Izomi joked. Or had he?

"I like the irony." Jocalta smiled.

"Yeah, me too," he nodded. An awkward silence, and then she decided to change the topic.

"So what happened to Rosen? Don't tell me he is neglecting you again…? There is this great Jedi-Padawan hotline, so if you feel neglected and forgotten you can call them. For, um, support," Jocalta said with the most serious expression she could manage. Izomi gave her an annoyed look.

"Master Rosen is an esteemed member of the Jedi Community, and he is attending an important High Council meeting concerning the events that occurred earlier today. Which is way more than you can say about your Master." Izomi raised his chin.

"I'm my own Master!"

"Yeah, you just keep thinking that, stupid human."

"Well, at least I don't need Argaiv (2) to get excited," Jocalta countered.

Izomi looked back at her blankly.

"Okay," he said, and walked away.

It took Jocalta a moment to realize that he hadn't known what it was. She was still chuckling to herself as she walked through the Temple corridors. The Padawan did not seem to understand that the joke had been on him, at all. In any case, he had given her valuable information. Jocalta decided that it was time to see what this High Council meeting was about. Something told her that she was probably involved in their discussions, and so she made her way towards the chamber doors.

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed and gazed at the Masters arrayed before him. 

"Please, I think we can all agree that something must be done to reform that child's misconduct. Master Yoda, I understand that because she has trained in the Temple for so long it would not be permissible to ask that Jocalta be dismissed, but… is there not some finishing school we could send her off to, under supervision, perhaps?" He looked around hopefully.

"Afraid not, I am, Master Kenobi. A burden to them the child would be, not like the Jedi way. But, a temporary solution," Yoda said, turning away for a moment to collect his thoughts, "I have." His dark, emerald eyes alighted on the doors at the end of the corridor leading to the central chamber. As if on cue, they began to slide open, but then Anakin Skywalker pushed them aside violently, and then proceeded to half strut, half storm towards his place in the circle. His dark-blond sandy hair complimented the dark robe he had chosen to wear, and as he approached them, both the Jedi's height and the way he held himself seemed to dwarf the council. Especially Yoda.

Getting closer, he placed one hand on top of his seat and held it there for a moment, as if he wanted to lovingly pet it but did not desire to get even more questioning glances, before sliding in with a very relaxed and detached air. Rosen, who was seated next to Anakin because he had been given a position of his own in the Council only a few days before Skywalker, was ill at ease with how comfortable the human Jedi looked, sitting down contentedly, like he had the Force-given right to be there.

"So, fellow Masters," Anakin began, apparently unaware of the Council's mood, "why were we called to be here again? Something about the duel, I think? Someone was injured badly with a—flashlight, or something?"

"Very late you are, Master Skywalker." Yoda remarked coldly.

"Forgive me, Master Yoda. It won't happen again."

Obi-Wan interrupted.

"How many times have we heard that excuse, Anakin?"

Anakin looked around conspiratorially. Anyone not trained to use the Force would not have felt it, but these were Masters, and now their attentions were focused on him completely. Except Shaak Ti, who had missed most of the conversation. The sound of lasers and explosions added to the sense of motion building up around Anakin. Rosen edged farther away.

"I have a valid excuse for coming late, Master Kenobi," he said, his voice rising passionately. His former Master looked down, deliberately not meeting his gaze.

"And what's that, Anakin?" Obi Wan asked softly.

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest, opening his mouth to defend himself against this kind of treatment:

"There was a disturbance in the fifth district. You see, one of the Wookie ambassadors that came with the delegation yesterday got attacked by a drunk coming out of a building around the corner. They walked into each other by accident, and it was lucky I was nearby to intercede before the poor man lost an arm. Then of course, I had to explain to his parents that he'd been skipping school, and I had a hard time translating between whatever it was _they_ were speaking and Wookie. All in all, another _relatively exciting_ day."

Anakin pushed forwards in his chair and scowled at the assembled Masters, his heavy gaze resting on Yoda for a fraction of a second longer than the rest.

"Honestly, is there nothing challenging to do on this planet? We have countless battalions of clones just aimlessly marching down the Temple hallways for days because we have nothing else to keep them occupied with. I mean, some of them have been smart enough to get jobs, but in general—have you ever tried talking to one of them? There is still a Sith Lord out there, somewhere! At least it is consoling to know that I'm not the only one with way too much free time." There was a crackle, and Shaak Ti's voice came over from her chair. Her figure danced in and out of frame.

"Well, Anakin, if you're not… Arh, why won't you die already!? …too busy…" Static crackled over the image for a moment before it became clear again. Only those Masters with superior hearing could catch the swearing below it.

"Skywalker, are there delays? What is taking you so long to get here!?"

"May I have permission to leave, Master Yoda?" The old whill nodded calmly.

"The meeting, over it is."

Master Skywalker nodded back in return and quickly walked out of the chamber.

* * *

Jocalta hadn't thought much on her exchange with the Padawan. There was a meeting going on now, not to mention a meeting concerning her, and she wanted to at least hear part of the discussion. She did her best to hide her presence from the Masters, knowing that she would fail miserably; she simply relied on the hope that they would be too busy to notice her presence. Using the Force to sharpen her sense she heard a synthesized voice: 

"Skywalker, are there delays? What is taking you so long to get here!?" The person talking over hologram was impossible to identify over the static.

"May I have permission to leave, Master Yoda?" said someone with a voice she did not recognize.

"The meeting, over it is."

Jocalta was still hidden in the shadows by the door when Anakin Skywalker walked out, his dark cloak floating after him. Jocalta, not quiet thinking about the consequences, pressed the button to close the doors, efficiently catching the bigger part of Anakin's cloak between them. Anakin tripped backwards, subsequently colliding with the closed doors, which thudded dully.

"Damn!" Anakin swore loudly. "I hate when this happens!"

'_He's such a model Jedi,_' Jocalta mused to herself. '_So much for repressing emotions, eh, Master?_' she thought, hoping he was not telepathic.

Anakin tugged on his cloak until it came loose. Then, much to Jocalta's dismay, he launched himself in her direction, throwing her off balance and falling down on top of her, pinning the girl to the floor.

"Who are you?" he hissed, trying to put a name to her face.

"I am the Sith Lord. Can't you tell?" Jocalta spat back, not at all comfortable with having a Jedi Master on top of her.

Anakin glared, "I shall ask again, for your benefit; who are you?"

"I am the Chosen One."

Anakin snarled:

"There is a Chamber full of Jedi Masters _right there_," he said motioning with his head. "Unless you reveal your identity to me _now_, you can tell them yourself that you are the Sith Lord and the Chosen One. Who knows, maybe the war will end sooner."

Jocalta paused for a second before answering, and with a new spark in her grey eyes:

"I am Izomi. A Padawan."

Anakin, seemingly satisfied with that answer, respectfully removed himself and stood up.

"Well, what are you doing here then?"

"I was on my way to the archives," Jocalta said innocently.

"The archives are in the other direction," Anakin said, pointing. He didn't wanting to deal with someone else's Padawan, and was immensely grateful that this _thing_ did not belong to him.

"Oh, right. We just returned from a mission in the outer regions… I am still a bit out of it," Jocalta said in explanation. It seemed to work. In reality, Anakin was tired of this little charade. Nodding curtly, sweeping his cloak behind him theatrically, he stalked off to join up with Shaak Ti.

* * *

Izomi finished watching the duel, and grinned, realizing why Master Rosen had wanted him to see it. He shook his head. Stupid aliens, didn't they know that there were other ways to fight an opponent with even minimal control over the Force? 

He turned off the machine and looked around himself, studying the archives. In all things, there was the Jedi Way, and then there was the Jhuala Way. Master Rosen would not have sent him to this place without an alternative reason. He went over their conversation again in his mind, trying to think of what that might be…

The council meeting, of course!

Those were restricted cameras, but every High Council meeting was required to be recorded for future reference, or if for some reason a member had been unable to attend and wanted to catch up. All it took to gain access to the files was the correct concentration of the Force, and—

There, behind those shelves was the Master's Screen. Izomi walked over and waved his hand, starting up the program. The hologram blinked, coming into focus immediately on the Council Chamber. The members were standing up now and shaking each other's hands warmly. Groups were beginning to form as the Jedi began to talk animatedly. Too bad, he seemed to have missed most of it. Izomi glanced sideways at the controls, wondering if he could get a closer image. He flipped a switch to change cameras.

"_Who are you?"_ crackled the speaker. Nope, not that one.

Izomi tried some of the other buttons before the previous image had registered in his brain. Suddenly interested, he traced his way back.

"_I am Izomi, a Padawan."_

Was that Master Skywalker on top of… outside of the Council Chamber, in front of the Masters… his name…?

He paused the tape just as Anakin stood up.

And then Izomi smiled, rewound the scene, and pushed the record button. This probably hadn't been what Master Rosen had been looking for, but doubtless he would find it interesting.

Especially if Anakin chose to report the incident.

* * *

A feeling of understanding immediately swelled over the assembled Masters as Anakin left the room and the entrance doors slid shut. Yoda only needed to smile, and they all knew what was going through his head. It was perfect, it was legal, and it was going to really annoy Chancellor Palpatine. This was exactly the reason they allowed a little green whill to take charge of the Jedi Order. The Masters congratulated themselves. Ten minutes later, the lights in the empty High Council Chamber faded out, and the hologram projector fizzled once before switching off.

* * *

Anakin entered into the Council Chamber again the next day, late and storming as usual. He did not understand why they had been called a second time. Hadn't the meeting yesterday been enough? Surely they did not need him _every day_! Sure, the passing excitement of talking to boring Masters gave one something to do, but... He stalked to his seat, and still glaring, sat down moodily. 

"Good morning, Master Skywalker," Rosen said in a sing-song voice.

Anakin grunted.

"Did you sleep well tonight?" he continued on in the most innocent way.

"Yes, I did," Anakin grunted again. "So what is _this_ meeting about?"

"Oh, I don't know. Something about a Padawan," Rosen replied, coyly.

"Whose Padawan? I saw a Padawan called Eezemi, or Isomi or something like that outside the Council Chamber last night…" Anakin said absently, unaware that he already knew.

"You did, did you now?" Rosen said, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Whoever that Padawan belongs to, they really should discipline her," Anakin said, thinking about the cheek of that girl. "We can't have Padawans running all around the Temple, can we?"

"Well, Anakin, keeping them under control is not as easy as it seems," added Obi-Wan, joining in.

For the first time since he had entered the room, Anakin perceived the overly jolly mood of the Council- what was going on?

"…What happened yesterday, after I left?" he asked cautiously, more awake than before.

"We resolved a very important issue," Depa Billaba answered with an atypical smirk.

Anakin was more confused than before, "What issue?"

"The one that needed much resolving," Rosen replied. That was a common type of reply for a Jhuala. He didn't know why it seemed to annoy Skywalker so much.

The whole room quieted down, and the attention of the Masters focused on Yoda, who was walking into the Chamber, holding the hand of the girl that was known to all but one of them as Jacolta. Anakin's eyes widened in horror and recognition:

'_I have a bad feeling about this._'

"In the light of recent problems presented by Jocalta Ny'eed," Master Windu stood up and spoke, "we had decided and resolved yesterday that she will become the Padawan of Master Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin's jaw dropped. He waited a full five seconds before he stood up, intending to protest, or perhaps bolt for the door. Yoda gently Force-pushed him back into his chair.

"Responsibility, you Skywalker, learn must!" Yoda scolded him vehemently. "Treat like this your Padawan, you must not!"

Anakin looked like he was going to say something, but Rosen shushed him loudly, and looked back towards Windu, feigning interest.

Mace Windu was still talking about the arrangement. Anakin, having been forced to sit down and refrain from objecting, listened in disbelief:

"… Master Skywalker, who has not yet trained a Jedi Padawan, was promoted into our ranks by special merits. The Jedi order has agreed that now would be the opportune time for Master Skywalker to pass on his wisdom to a Youngling. Jocalta Ny'eed, who is the eldest Padawan here, was chosen for the trial. If this arrangement fails, Master Skywalker is to be demoted from the Council, and Padawan Ny'eed will be transferred to the Jedi Working Force Division." Windu finished and returned to his seat.

"What?" Jocalta turned around to face Windu, effectively freeing herself from Yoda's grasp. "You can't send me away. That's against the Jedi rules!"

"This decision very difficult was," Master Yoda said thoughtfully. "To profit both participants, it proposed was."

"I thought… it was custom for a Master to pick his own Padawan, if he wanted to at all?" Anakin pleaded anxiously.

"That is generally the case," interrupted Kit Fisto, leaning back in his seat. "But is it not also customary for a Jedi Knight to train a Padawan of his own before obtaining Master status at all?"

Rosen laughed to himself. Pwned by an ugly mermaid, _Master_ Skywalker, and we haven't even started.

"Isn't she too old to be a Padawan?" Anakin tried again feebly. Jocalta gave him a scorching look.

"I've been thirteen three years in a row," she said coldly. "You can check the records."

"Then this will be your last year being thirteen," Depa Billaba said with a hint of scorn in her voice.

Yoda pushed her towards him.

"On the Jedi Council you cannot be," he said firmly, staring up at him with piercing eyes, "unless prove to the Jedi Council responsible you are."

Desperate, Anakin turned to his old Master. Obi-Wan only smiled back:

"Consider it another trial, Master Skywalker," he stated smoothly.

Anakin couldn't believe it.

The one person who should have been backing him up…

'_Palpatine was right', _he thought_. 'They really _are_all against me.'_

And then he had an epiphany:

'_Wait, they can't do that; I'm the freaking Chosen One'!_

Anakin and Jocalta gaped at the Jedi council, as if they were waiting for Yoda or Windu to smile and say 'just kidding' and everything would return to the way it used to be, yet they did not. It was final. The two were stuck together, and neither had any say in it

* * *

(1)- The Jedi Temple had no dark corners for security reasons. In addition, curves complied, somehow, with unwritten Jedi Code 

(2)- The alien form of Viagra


End file.
